Zippy Turkey and Rice

Not only did I make Zucchini Bread Muffins last night, but I also made this Zippy Turkey and Rice dish for our lunches and quick evening meals.

This recipe came from the June/July 2010 edition of Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Magazine.

I don’t think a giant dish of various foods all mixed together can ever look appetizing in a picture–or in person for that matter.

Zippy Turkey and Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked brown rice

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 large onion, chopped

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained

2/3 cup picante sauce

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I used pinto beans because I don’t like kidney beans.)

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided (I used a little more.)

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook turkey and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, picante sauce, chili powder, and cuin; heat through. Remove from the heat, sitr in kidney beans, 1/2 cup cheese, and coked rice. Transfer to a 13-inch x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Cover and bake at 350* for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Nutrition Facts: 1-1/4 cups equals 294 calories, 9 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 55 mg cholesterol, 593 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 20 g protein.

Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1 vegetable

My mid-morning snack was a small container of roasted almonds and dried cherries. I love the tartness of dried cherries, especially when mixed with the salty almonds–now I just need some chocolate pieces in there!

I also had some applesauce with cinnamon. Sometimes I don’t know why I bother to eat applesauce because it does nothing for my appetite.

For lunch I included the Zippy Turkey and Rice dish I made last night.

I was sadly disappointed with this recipe. I had higher hopes but this dish was too dry for my liking. I didn’t have any directly out of the oven, so I wonder if that would have made a difference.

I did make a mistake with the beans as well because I used dry beans but didn’t cook them long enough, so they were still pretty “mealy.”

Carrots sticks for the vegetable group.

And a Red Delicious apple because this guy was sitting on my desk when I got to school this morning, so how could I not eat the apple for the teacher. 😉 I know a lot of people don’t like Red Delicious apples, but if they are crunchy–which this was–I do like them!

I can’t wait to get out of my windowless office because the sun is actually shining today!!